Vehicle steering device.



7 0 9 1 2 Q E D D E T N. .E T A P E & 7. m 4 7 8 n N VEHICLE STEERINGDEVICE.-

APPLIGATION FILED MAY 29, 1906.

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No. 874,878. PATENTED DEC. 24, 1907.

E. J. V-RAAL$TAD.

VEHICLE STEERING DEVICE.

APPLIGATION FILED MAY 29, 1906.

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wi/bneooeo EDWARD J. VRAALSTAD, or BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

VEHICLE STEERING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 24, 1907.

Application filed May 29, 1906- Serial No. 319,367.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD J. VRAAL- STAD, of Buffalo, in the county ofErie and State of New York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Vehicle Steering Devices; and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same.

The object of this invention is to provide a steering device which,while capable of being readily manipulated by the operator, cannot beturned out of position by reason of either of the front wheels of amotor vehicle striking a stone or other'projection.

A further object is to provide improved means for enabling the operatingwheel and its rod to be thrown forward, out of the way, when the car isnot in motion.

The invention will be hereinafter fully set forth and particularlypointed out in the claims.

1n the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 shows in side elevation a motorvehicle with my improvement applied. Figs. 2 and 3 are enlarged rear andfront views. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view. Fig. 5 is asectional view on line 55, Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a sectional view on line66, Fig. 4, with the casing omitted. Fig. 7 is a detail. Fig. 8 is aside view of the casing. Fig. 9 is a sectional detail.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates the steering rod which isequipped near its lower end with right and left screw threads 2 and 3,whereon work corresponding nuts 4 and 5. The rod projects through aframe composed of two corresponding end disks 6 and a connecting bar 7,which latter is formed at its lower end with an apertured lug 8, throughwhich a bolt 9' is passed for securing it to a hanger 10 depending fromthe underside of the car, such bolt forming a pivot upon which the framemay be swung. The upper disk 6 is fitted between two collars 12, whilethe lower disk is engaged by the nut on the threaded end of the rod. Thenuts 4 and 5 are guided by the bar 7, and for this purpose are formedwith corresponding spaced apart ears 13, which ears may be apertured toreceive the clamping bolts 14.

According to my invention a swinging member, connected at one end to thesteering wheels of the vehicle, is, at its other end, secured direct toone of the two oppositely movable nuts, and is also articulated orflexibly connected to the other nut. It is not fulcrumed on any fixedbearing, but is supported wholly by the two movable nuts. This swingingmember is shown as having at its upper ends arms or ears 16 pivotallyconnected, each at one end, to the upper nut 5, and at their other endssaid arms or ears support a nutted bolt 18 for retaining a link 19 whichis held by a bolt 20 between lugs 21 of nut 4. That portion of the rodcarrying the mechanism for adjusting the swinging member is inclosed bya casing 22 having an opening at its lower end to accommodate theapertured lug 8. When this casing is employed it is necessary to formopenings in the opposite walls thereof to accommodate thelaterally-extended sides 24 of the swinging member 23, which sides havepivoted between them at their lower free ends a block 25 wherein ismounted the rod leading to one of the steering wheels.

By turning the steering rod the nuts will be caused to move toward oraway from each other, and the swinging member being secured to one ofthe nuts and flexibly connected to the other, may be readily and easilyshifted in either direction.

The opening in the floor through which the steering rod is passed isslightly elongated, and a portion of the rod above the floor is within aU-shape standard 26 wherein it is held by a pivoted bar 27 recessed inits free end to conform to the rod, whereby the latter will be held inthe position required when the car is in motion. By disengaging thisbar, the steering rod may be thrown forward, its frame turning on thepivot bolt 9. (See Fig. 1.) This allows of freedom of the operator inassuming or leaving the seat. To return the rod to its proper positionit is only necessary to pull rearwardly thereon and then throw the barinto engagement therewith. This bar normally occupies an inclinedposition so that the accidental release of the rod is impossible.

The advantages of my invention will be manifest to those skilled in theart. By reason of the double thread and nut arrangement the danger ofthe vehicle being deflected by one of the steering wheels striking anobstruction is entirely obviated, and yet the swinging member may bereadily and easily shifted by turning the steering rod.

It will also be noted that all the working parts are incased, save theswinging member, thus serving to protect the threads from injury by dirtor grit.

I claim as my invention 1. In a steering gear for vehicles, thecombination with a steering rod, and a duplex screw-thread thereon, oftwo nuts, one for each thread, a swinging member carried wholly by saidnuts and actuated by the movements thereof.

2. In a steering gear for vehicles, the combination with a steering rod,and a duplex screw-thread controlled thereby, of two nuts, one for eachthread, a swinging member pivotally secured to one of said nuts, and alink pivotally secured to said swinging member and to the other of saidnuts.

3. The combination with a rod having right and left hand screw threads,of nuts working on said threads, means for preventing said nuts fromturning axially, a swinging member pivotally mounted on one of saidnuts, and a link connecting said swinging member to the other of saidnuts.

4. The combination with a rod having right and left hand screw-threads,and a guide bar parallel with the threaded portion of such rod, of nutsworking on said threads and guided by said bar, a swinging member havingarms connected to one of said nuts, and a link connecting said arms tothe other of said nuts.

5. In a steering gear for vehicles, the com bination with the rod havingright and left hand screwthreads, of a frame through which such rod ispassed, nuts working on said threads and guided by said frame, a casinginclosing all of said parts and the lower portion of said rod, saidcasing having openings in its sides, a swinging member comprisingcorresponding arms projected through said openings and secured to one ofsaid nuts and connected to the other.

6. The combination with a rod having right and left hand screwthreads,and a guiding bar parallel with the threaded portion of such rod, ofnuts working on said threads and guided by said bar, a swinging memberhaving arms pivotally secured to one of said nuts, and a link pivoted tothe other nut and to said arms.

7. The combination with a rod having right and left hand screw-threads,and a guiding bar parallel with the threaded por- 5 tion of such rod, ofnuts working on said threads and guided by said bar, one of said nutshaving apertured lugs, a swinging memher having arms pivoted to theother of said nuts, and a link pivotally secured at one end 6 to saidarms and at the other end to said lugs.

8. The combination with the rod, the frame thereon, and means withinsaid frame, actuated by the rod, for effecting the shifting of thesteering wheels of a vehicle, a fixed 6 support, means for pivotallyconnecting said frame at its lower end to said fixed support, and meansfor holding said frame in its normal position.

9. The combination with the rod, the 7 frame thereon, and means withinsaid frame, actuated by the rod, for effecting the shifting of thesteering wheels of a vehicle, a fixed support, and means for pivotallyconnecting said frame to said fixed support, of the U- 7 shape standardthrough which the rod is passed, and means for retaining the rod in saidstandard.

10. The combination with the rod, the frame thereon, and means withinsaid frame, 8 actuated by the rod, for effecting the shifting of thesteering wheels of a vehicle, a fixed support, and means for pivotallyconnecting said frame to said fixed support, of the U- shape standardthrough which the rod is 8 passed, and a bar pivoted at one end and atits other end designed to engage and hold said rod within said standard.

11. The combination with the rod, the frame thereon having a pivotedsupport, and 9 means actuated by the rod for effecting the shifting ofthe steering wheels of a vehicle, of the U-shape standard through whichthe rod is passed, and a bar pivoted at one end and at its other enddesigned to engage and hold said rod, said bar occupying an inclinedposition when in engagement with said rod.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification in the presenceof two subscribing witnesses.

EDWARD J. VRAALSTAD.

Witnesses:

CHAs. J. CREIGI-ITON, H. P. SEIPP.

